Weight Watchers Wednesday

I thought I would take Wednesdays to update you guys on my weight loss/fitness saga! Last Friday was the end of my first official week, and after a lot of exercise and calorie cutting, I lost a whopping...1 pound.

Though discouraged at first, I realized that I've been doing a lot weight lifting lately, and I probably gained some muscle. My clothes already fit better, so I think I'm on the right track. My favorite workout is the Les Mills' Body Pump class at the YMCA. It is basically a weight lifting class that works every major muscle group. I was slightly concerned that I was doing more strength training than cardio, so I asked a nurse practitioner at work who has an interest in fitness, and she gave me some great advice:

• doing weights 3x a week is perfectly fine, as long as I do at least 2 days of cardio in between to burn fat. She said a brisk walk 30 min/day is all I need!
• Even at the beginning of this type of exercise regimen, the numbers wont show on the scale. You will notice it in your clothes first. Good to know!
  
• Doing lots of strength training is more conducive to eating several snacks, rather than 3 larger meals. Frequent snacks, high in protein, will keep your body more satisfied, and not feeding off the muscle for energy.
• Greek yogurt has way more protein and less sugar than the regular Dannon yogurt I eat. I haven't tried it yet, but this might be my new breakfast item!
  

So my new protien rich snacks I eat daily are: almonds, a hard boiled egg, string cheese, protien fortified granola bars, and yogurt!

I will update you guys next Wednesday!